10 Great New Fruit and Vegetable Varieties to Grow in 2018

Pick a peck of pretty peppers when you grow 'Candy Cane Red'. These green-striped fruits take on shades of yellow and orange before ripening to solid red, and even the variegated leaves are attractive. The peppers are also sweet and crispy, with thin walls that make them great for munching out of hand or tossing into salads. Plant this variety in containers or in the ground. Because the plants have a mounding growth habit, and top out around 18-24" tall, they don't usually need staking.

The breeders of 'Rhubarb Supreme' say it’s the most bolt-resistant red chard on the market, which means it will produce for a longer period of time than other varieties. Start this open-pollinated chard indoors, in early spring, about 5 to 6 weeks before the last heavy frosts in your area (it can tolerate light frosts), or sow the seeds outdoors in a cold frame. If you live in a mild climate, 'Rhubarb Supreme’ may overwinter. The plants have deep green, crinkly leaves and bright, ruby-red stalks.

'Midnight Snack' cherry-type tomatoes are delicious in salads or popped right into your mouth while you're picking in the garden. In full sun, the red fruits take on a glossy, purplish-black cast that comes from pigments containing healthy antioxidants. You can start harvesting from the indeterminate plants in about 65-70 days from transplanting. 'Midnight Snack' is an All-American Selections (AAS) award-winner.

Looking for a medium-hot pepper? Try 'Mexican Sunrise'. These Hungarian peppers range in color from lime green to yellow, orange and red as they ripen, so you'll often have a rainbow of hues on the same plant. The thick-walled fruits are good for eating fresh, pickling or processing, but they're also pretty enough to dress up your garden or use for fall decorations. This variety is another AAS winner with a bushy growth habit that's suitable for containers or small gardens.